It seems that every year, menswear fashion weeks get less buzz in the fashion show circuit. And though I don’t want to admit it, I suppose it could be because men’s fashion in recent years hasn’t had too much pizzazz in comparison to the grandeur of women’s ready-to-wear or couture. However, it seems that this season menswear week has really thrown down the gauntlet and established itself as a true staple in the year’s cycle of shows. I must say, it’s about time!

Designers were much bolder in their collections in a way I feel we haven’t seen in a while, and it seems like it’s all in response to the question: what does it mean to be a man in today’s world?

With constant criticism directed towards the image of toxic masculinity, many fashion houses were imbuing their menswear collections with more nuance and playfulness. There was a shift towards metrosexuality, followed by a deep dive into clothing that explored more gender fluidity in loose-draping and more feminine tailoring and color usage.

There was also a distinctive punk presence that I found quite intriguing this year as punk has connotations with very vocal freedom, rebellion and sexuality, again emphasizing the move away from traditional masculinity. Designers don’t want men to perpetuate an outdated stereotype of virility. It seems that houses want their clothing to reflect the changes in how men identify themselves and it’s providing us observers and consumers with a revolution in men’s fashion.

We’re seeing a huge push towards stepping out of the comfort zones of menswear and into something far more experimental, unexpected and androgynous.

And with that, here are our top trends from Fall 2019 Menswear Week.

Arts and Crafts

Honoring the craft of fashion seems to be on the mind of menswear designers this season. All over runways this season, we saw wonderful paint-stroke prints with abstract but vibrant colors that highlight the preciousness of one’s clothes. Placing the wearer in both the role of the artist and the art piece, it seems that designers are using the humanity of art to soften the male image.

The Cat’s Meow

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From Kitty Girls to Kitty Boys, the fierceness of wild cats appeared on both mens’ and womens’ runways this season. Certainly a bolder look, cheetah, tiger and leopard prints added a playful and expressive touch to many runway looks. Fashion houses seem to be pushing for men to explore more vivid and artistic approaches to the playboy-print, whether that’s in the form of a cat-ear hoodie from Charles Jeffrey Loverboy or in playful tiger print scarves at Marni.

All Tied Up

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Redefine the idea of a strapping young lad with, well, straps! Entering into a more fetishistic realm of expression, designers seem to be embracing the rebellious motifs of kink for fall. From Versace’s bondage print shirts to Prada’s playful chains and bags, to Craig Green’s industrial strapped tee, fashion houses everywhere seem to prepping everyone to strap in for a wild ride.

Make it Rain

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This season showed us some of the finest rain-gear in a while. Fabulous trench coats for the men about town, and anoraks for happy hypebeasts offer a wide range of rain protection for the upcoming rainy seasons. We saw some amazing long-to-the-floor coats for those dreary downpour days at A-Cold-Wall and transparent vinyl trenches at Neil Barrett. By the looks of it, we’ll all be singing in the rain next season!

Toon Up

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In today’s world, it can be difficult to be optimistic; rarely do we feel the joy that we did when we’d wake up early for Saturday morning cartoons. Thankfully, designers are pushing for a return to that nostalgic and extreme joy in this season’s most amusing trend. From Mickey Mouse to Mew and Pikachu, fashion houses are releasing mainline and capsule collection that embrace the carefree happiness of cartoon culture. Obviously, there will always be a day for a business suit and tie, but when there’s an opportunity to rock a head-to-toe Pikachu sweatsuit, why would you refuse?

The Boys in Blue

It seems that the meaning of the fall blues seems to have changed. With beautiful shades of lapis, slate and cerulean, blue is certainly the color of the season. It seems that the key to embracing the shade is in packing on more of it. Head-to-toe monochrome looks are a huge trend on the womenswear front and it seems that designers want boys to have the same amount of love when it comes to the trend. From a Dolce and Gabbana tuxedo to Iceberg’s sporty climbing gear, we can tell that blue will be a closet staple for all men next year.

Fashion for Everyone

In discussing Paris Fashion Week last October, Anna Wintour proudly declared that “everything is for everybody.” In the ever-expanding spectrum of personal expression of identity, gender and sexuality, fashion is shifting towards pieces and items that are inclusive to all. I think the most radical shift we’ve seen lately in menswear has been a push towards more androgynous, genderless apparel, but done in a far more expressive, creative way. In this day and age, can we even say that certain items are designated solely for men or solely for women? There’s something incredibly triumphant in declaring that we can all wear what whatever we like. Designers are clearly responding to our calls for liberation in expressing our identities through clothes and the result is something truly magnificent.

All photos from Vogue.com